


Trapped

by bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid



Series: MacGyver Episode Tags [6]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Episode Tag, Post 2x17, mac is very angry, matty feels bad but defends her actions, sort of an episode tag to 2x17
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-30 19:25:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13958364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid/pseuds/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid
Summary: https://patriotproblems.tumblr.com/ Requested:"How about a fic where Mac and Matty are trapped together somewhere and while the team tries to get them out, Mac and Matty finally talk things out after last episode?"





	Trapped

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bumblebees_Guardian_FF](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bumblebees_Guardian_FF/gifts).



“Mac, you have got to stop pacing,” Matty finally snapped. She’d been dealing with Mac’s silent pacing for 10 minutes and she’d reached her breaking point. “We are trapped and there is nothing we can do about it. Jack and the other agents will be here soon to get us out. So please, relax.”

Mac gave her a look that was almost a glare. He’d never looked at her that way before and it sent a wave of pain through her. Mac had never been anything but respectful towards her until a few days ago when everything had suddenly changed. Matty had a good idea what was wrong, but she wasn’t going to confront him about it until she was 100% sure.

That was why she’d joined them on the mission. Bozer had all but confirmed her suspicious, now she just needed to get Mac to talk. The two of them getting trapped in this building wasn't ideal for the mission. But she thought just maybe the building collapsing was the break she needed to finally get Mac to admit what he knows.

“I’m perfectly relaxed,” Mac responded to her although he looked anything but. His entire body vibrated with tension. Even after he sat down as far away from her as possible, he still looked anxious.

“What’s up with you?” Matty asked. She hated the tension between them too much to find a more subtle way to broach the subject.

“Nothing, I’m just not a fan of tight spaces,” Mac said in an attempt to deflect.

“While that may very well be true, I don’t think it’s the whole truth. You’ve been in a bad mood for days,” Matty took a few steps closer to him. A part of her wanted to go all the way over to him and give him a hug. He looked so distressed and she hated knowing that she was the cause of that. But as always, the secret agent side of her won out. She had secrets that she couldn’t tell, even if they caused the people she cared about pain.

“People are allowed bad moods, Jack’s always in one,” Mac grumbled. He indeed sounded more like Jack at that moment than he ever had before.

“We’ve worked together for a while and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in one,” Matty pointed out.

“Yeah well, circumstances change,” Mac said, refusing to meet her eyes. This was another new behavior that had cropped up. Mac never looked her in the eyes unless she was speaking to him directly. Otherwise, it seemed like he was trying to pretend that she wasn’t even in the room.

“What circumstances?’ Matty pushed

“Nothing, nevermind.”

“MacGyver, something is going on with you and I need you to-”

“I don’t need to do anything,” Mac interrupted in a rare display of anger.

“Mac!” Matty said, surprised at his harsh tone.

“I don’t owe you any kind of explanation, it’s not like we are actual friends or anything. You don’t need to know anything about my personal life,” Mac was standing again and his voice was shaking.

“Whoa, Mac, you know that you are more to me than just another agent right?” Matty had known that he was upset, but she hadn’t realized how deep the hurt had run.

“That’s for sure,” Mac said with a chuckle that was anything but humorous. “Look, how about we stop beating around the bush. We both know what this is about. You lied to me. You said you didn’t know my father, but Jack broke into your safe and found proof that you not only knew him, but were investigating him.” Mac said, confirming what Matty had suspected. 

“Mac, I-”

“You said you trusted me more than anyone. So why couldn’t you trust me with this? I don’t care about whatever you were investigating my dad for, I care that you didn’t tell me yourself, even when I point blank asked you about it.” Mac was yelling now and Matty was suddenly glad that they were completely alone in the collapsed building.

“I do trust you, Mac, it’s everyone else in the world that I don’t trust,” Matty said softly, trying to find a way to explain herself.

“If you are going to say that you were protecting me, I swear to god I might lose it. I am a government agent who has dealt with dozens of psychopaths and killers, some of whom have a personal vendetta against me. Whatever it is you think you are protecting me from, I can handle it,” Mac said as he started up his pacing again. Matty wished that she had a paperclip or something to give him, although at that moment he probably wouldn’t accept anything from her.

“This is something different, something much much worse. And yes, I lied to protect you, not only from the contents of my investigation, but also from yourself. I know what you’ll do with this information and it will only get you killed,” Matty said bluntly and Mac pulled up short. He tilted his head and looked at her closely, absorbing this new information.

“What was my dad involved with?” He asked after a few moments of silence. His voice was softer now and Matty was incredibly grateful for that.

“I’m not going to tell you that. You can be angry at me for as long as you like and, as much as that will break my heart, I will accept it because it will keep you safe,” Matty again spoke honestly. She expected Mac to start yelling at her again for not telling him, but instead, he stayed eerily quiet. He pulled out his pocket knife and started flicking the knife open and close. Matty wanted to break the silence, but she didn’t. Instead, she gave that big brain of his time to process.

“How do I trust you?” He asked finally. He was no longer angry, now he just sounded broken. That was much, much worse.

“I know a lot of people have lied to you Mac, people who you were supposed to be able to count on. I know that I am now a part of that list and that kills me, but unlike your dad and Thornton, I did what I did to protect you. That’s the difference. I don’t know how you will ever trust me again, but that’s something you have to figure out,” Matty said, again resisting the urge to hug the poor boy.

“Jack still trusts you, and he knows you better than all of us. Even Riley thought that you might have my best interest at heart and she’s not one to trust easily. But I just...I don’t know how I can,” Mac said with a sigh, finally looking up at her. His blue eyes were full of pain and frustration.

“After this mission, I’ll give you a few days to sort things out. You can decide whether you and I can still work together,” Matty said even though the thought of not working with Mac filled her with sadness.

“We can still work together,” Mac responded immediately and Matty looked at him in surprise, not sure if she heard correctly.

“What?”

“I found the tape with you on it a while ago and I have suspected you since then. I have been okay with working with you because I know that you are a good agent and I trust your judgment in the field. I’m just not sure if we can be anything other than agent and boss to each other,” Mac said in a flat tone. Matty was happy to hear that he would keep working with her. Maybe over time, she would be able to build his trust back up.

“If all you want to be is one of my agents, then I will follow your lead,” Matty said. She hated this new distance between them but knew that there was nothing that could be done.

“Good,” Mac said and then paused when a noise reached their ears. “Looks like the cavalry is finally here.” He turned away from her and started banging a piece of metal on a pipe to let everyone know where they were.

Matty watched him with sadness. She was glad that he was no longer angry with her, but now he just seemed so detached. She suddenly missed the Mac who would joke around and laugh and fill the silence with useless facts. Matty knew that it would be a long time before she got to see that side of him again, if she ever did. But at least this way, Mac was alive to joke and tell facts to other people. Matty was happy to deal with his cold shoulder, as long as he was safe.


End file.
